Lords of Appeal in Ordinary

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many days in 2002 each Lord of Appeal in Ordinary sat for the purpose of judicial business in (a) the House of Lords and (b) the Privy Council.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: The number of days spent in judicial hearings by each Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 2002 is as follows:
	
		
			 Council House of Lords Privy 
			 Lord Bingham of Cornhill 64 36 
			 Lord Slynn of Hadley 27 11 
			 Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead 56 34 
			 Lord Steyn 48 45 
			 Lord Hoffmann 53 35 
			 Lord Hope of Craighead 61 41 
			 Lord Hutton 50 55 
			 Lord Saville of Newdigate 0 0 
			 Lord Hobhouse of Woodborough 71 31 
			 Lord Millett 40 49 
			 Lord Scott of Foscote 67 33 
			 Lord Rodger of Earlsferry 40 55 
			 Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe 12 18 
		
	
	Lord Slynn of Hadley retired on 30 September 2002 and was replaced by Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe. Lord Saville of Newdigate is the full-time chairman of the Bloody Sunday inquiry into the events in Londonderry on Sunday 30 January 1972. In 2002, as part of a continuing arrangement under the 1997 handover arrangements, Lords Hoffmann and Millett, in addition to their House of Lords and Privy Council duties, each sat for a month in the Final Court of Appeal in Hong Kong.
	These figures relate to days sat for hearing appeals and petitions for leave to appeal; they exclude directions hearings and judgments. In 2002 the House of Lords sat for a total of 131 days to hear appeals and petitions for leave either as the House or in Appellate and Appeal Committees. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat for a total of 118 days to hear appeals and petitions for leave.
	These statistics cannot be used to infer workload, particularly the burden of drafting opinions and in the House of Lords determining on the papers about 280 petitions for leave to appeal each year.

Legal Help for Immigration

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What sum the Lord Chancellor intends to make available in the present financial year for legal aid for asylum cases.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The sum that the Lord Chancellor intends to make available in 2002–03 for legal help for immigration, which includes asylum cases, is £175 million.

Right to Buy Scheme

Lord Carter: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made further to the announcement on the right to buy scheme made by the Deputy Prime Minister on 22 January 2003.

Lord Rooker: The Housing (Right to Buy) (Limits on Discount) (Amendment) Order 2003, reducing the maximum discounts available under the right to buy scheme in 41 areas in London and the South of England, has today been laid before Parliament.
	To coincide with the laying of the order, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has today published a report Exploitation of the Right to Buy scheme by companies by Professor Colin Jones of Heriot-Watt University. The full text of the report is available on the ODPM website http://www.housing.odpm.gov.uk/information/rtb/index.htm
	Hard copies of the report have been placed in the Vote Office, Printed Paper Office and the Libraries of the House.

Armed Forces: Medically Downgraded Personnel

Lord Vivian: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action has been taken and what priority has been given to upgrade medically 2,688 Royal Navy personnel, 10,602 Army personnel and 3,833 Royal Air Force personnel who were listed as downgraded in October 2002.

Lord Bach: Numbers of medically downgraded personnel include those who are permanently medically downgraded as well as those who are pregnant or have recently given birth. Of the just over 17,000 personnel who were medically downgraded in October 2002, more than 40 per cent would have been deployable on military operations albeit not at the front line. Priority for medical treatment is normally based on clinical need. However, mechanisms also exist for service patients to be fast-tracked in order to return them to operational duty more quickly than would otherwise have been the case. Fast-track diagnosis and treatment are undertaken either through Ministry of Defence hospital units or through private healthcare providers. Moreover, rehabilitation facilities at unit and regional level are being improved as part of the work to reduce the number of personnel unfit through injury.

Storm Shadow Stand-off Missile Programme

Lord Vivian: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made on the Storm Shadow stand-off missile programme; and whether it will be made an urgent operational requirement.

Lord Bach: Storm Shadow will provide the RAF with a highly effective precision strike capability. Due to technical problems experienced in the development of the system, we are reviewing the programme's timescales with MBDA (the equipment prime contractor). We are working hard with MBDA to ensure that the RAF gets this important capability into service as soon as possible, while not jeopardising the long-term performance of the system.

Nimrod MRA4

Lord Craig of Radley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 19 February (WA 175-77), whether the number of Nimrod MRA4s to be procured under the new contractual arrangements reached with BAE Systems will remain at 18 as announced on 28 February 2002 (WA 252).

Lord Bach: We still plan to procure 18 aircraft.

Royal Irish Regiment

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many persons resigned from the Royal Irish Regiment (a) as full-time members and (b) as part-time members in the home service in Northern Ireland during the year 2002.

Lord Bach: The number of full-time members of the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) in Northern Ireland who put in a request 12 months previously to end their engagement in 2002 was 43. The number of part-time members who resigned was 78. These figures do not include those who are R IRISH and assigned to other units who have resigned in 2002.

Royal Irish Regiment

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many recruits there were in 2002 to (a) the full-time home service of the Royal Irish Regiment in Northern Ireland; (b) the part-time home service of the Royal Irish Regiment in Northern Ireland; and (c) all other battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.

Lord Bach: The number of officers who were commissioned into the Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) are as follows:
	1 January to 31 December 2002
	
		
			 R IRISH home service full time 6 
			 R IRISH home service part time 4 
			 R IRISH General Service 4 
		
	
	Recruitment figures for soldiers joining the Army are calculated by financial year. The number who joined the R IRISH are as follows:
	1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002
	
		
			 R IRISH home service full time 120 
			 R IRISH home service part time 76 
			 R IRISH General Service 42 
		
	
	1 April 2002 to 22 February 2003
	
		
			 R IRISH home service full time 109 
			 R IRISH home service part time 75 
			 R IRISH General Service 73

Irish Guards Regiment

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total strength of the Irish Guards Regiment; and how many servicemen come from (a) Northern Ireland; (b) Great Britain; and (c) the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Bach: The total strength of the Irish Guards Regiment as at 1 January 2003 is as follows:
	
		
			 Nationality Strength 
			 Republic of Ireland 35 
			 Great Britain 470 
			 Northern Ireland 155 
			 Others* 15 
			 Total Strength 675 
		
	
	All figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	*Others include Fiji, Gambia, Grenada (Windward Islands), Jamaica, Kenya, Monserrat (Leeward Islands), Zimbabwe and the Isle of Man.

Armed Forces: Anthrax Vaccine

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, for the benefit of Gulf War veterans and troops now deployed or deploying to the Gulf, they will publish in the Official Report the letter to be sent by Lord Bach to Lord Morris of Manchester about the safety of the anthrax and other vaccines administered to service personnel, in keeping with the undertaking by Lord Bach in his Written Answer of 4 February (WA 26).

Lord Bach: Yes.

Arms Sales to China

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the value of arms and military equipment sold by the United Kingdom to China, in the last year for which figures are available.

Lord Bach: The value of licences issued and actual goods exported to individual countries, is published in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of this report are available from the Library of the House and via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk

Operational Welfare Package: Gulf Personnel

Lord Vivian: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What the operational welfare package is comprised of for those troops serving in the Gulf; and what is the allocation of telephone calls, e-mails and forces' airmail letters per individual.

Lord Bach: The operational welfare package (OWP) is in the process of being implemented in all Gulf locations where operational and environmental factors allow. In order to provide the degree of support appropriate to the different stages of the deployment the OWP is being implemented in phases. While the aim is to provide as much of the OWP as possible, commensurate with the phase of the operation, commanders are aware that there are necessary limitations to what can sensibly be delivered.
	The operational welfare package for United Kingdom Armed Forces serving in the Gulf comprises the following:
	(a) Telephones—Deployed personnel will have access to telephones at a ratio of 1:30 for manoeuvre forces and 1:50 for all other forces. Personnel are provided with 20 minutes of publicly funded talk-time every week.
	(b) Internet—Internet access is provided in those locations where the infrastructure allows. Access will not be provided for manoeuvre forces as they move from one location to another but a service will be provided to them as soon as practicable thereafter.
	(c) Mail—British Forces Post Offices are in place for all personnel serving in the Gulf; there is no individual limit on the number of forces free aerogrammes which may be sent or received.
	(d) E-mail—An electronic version of the free forces aerogramme is available for all personnel; there is no individual limit on the number of messages which may be sent.
	(e) British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS)—A BFBS television and radio service is in the process of being established for all locations.
	(f) Expeditionary Forces Institute(EFI)—EFI has deployed shop facilities to most locations. A mobile EFI shop will be provided at those locations where environmental factors do not allow the deployment of a static EFI facility.
	(g) Newspapers—Newspapers are being delivered to most locations where air transport allows.
	(h) Library Service—Books have been made available at the Services Mounting Centre for personnel to read on their flight and then exchange in theatre. Once air transport scheduling allows, bulk supplies of books will be shipped to theatre.
	When operational circumstances allow, we will consider the deployment of additional elements of the OWP. These are: provision of full stocks of fitness equipment; introducing the opportunity for rest and recuperation; and Combined Services Entertainment shows.

Armed Forces: Manpower Requirements

Lord Vivian: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What were the reasons for reducing the Armed Forces manning requirement between 1 April and 30 September 2002; by how much was the requirement reduced; and what were the reductions within each service.

Lord Bach: Details of the manpower requirements for 1 April 2002 and 1 October 2002 by individual service are shown in the table below:
	
		
			  1 April 2002 1 October 2002 Difference 
			 All services 196,150 195,350 �800 
			 Royal Navy 39,180 38,570 �610 
			 Army 106,970 106,980 +10 
			 Royal Air Force 49,990 49,800 �190 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures are for full-time trained requirement.
	All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and therefore the totals may not always equal the sum of the parts.
	The requirement figure as at 1 October 2002 is 800 personnel fewer than 1 April 2002. The Navy requirement figure shows the greatest change, showing a reduction in requirement of 610 during the period in question. The reductions were due to ships entering refit and would have been offset later by ships emerging from refit.
	A review of the Army's future manpower requirement concluded last year, resulting in a revised manning target of 106,978 (106,980 rounded). This was published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency in June 2002. The previously published figure was 106,973 (106,970 rounded).
	The change in the RAF requirement figure of -190 is due to small variations in the requirement which occur throughout the year reflecting decisions taken as part of the manpower planning processes.

Army: Long Service Advance of Pay

Lord Vivian: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action has been taken by the Ministry of Defence and what progress has been made to assist house purchase through the long service advance of pay to members of the Army at an earlier stage than is currently allowed.

Lord Bach: The Accompanied Service Review was completed in December 2002 and concluded that accompanied service continues to play a vital role in the Army's operational effectiveness and is the preferred choice of the vast majority of Army families.
	Long service advance of pay (LSAP) is one of the principal allowances that impacts on accompanied service. The LSAP work is ongoing and no change in current policy is expected before the short term plan for 200405.

Civil Servants: Gender

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many of the 447,600 non-industrial civil servants employed on 1 April 2002 were men and how many were women.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The figure of 447,600 non-industrial civil servants quoted refers to full-time equivalents, mandate only departments. The headcount figures for 1 April 2002 shows there were 488,300 (mandate and paper returns) non-industrial civil servants, of whom 225,150 are men and 263,150 are women.

Civil Servants: Gender

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many industrial civil servants were employed on 1 April 2002; how many were men; and how many were women.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: On 1 April 2002 the total number of industrial civil servants was 27,720 (headcount), of whom 23,550 are men and 4,170 are women.

Hazmod Data Network

The Earl of Northesk: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When it is anticipated that the HAZMOD data network to co-ordinate emergency services' responses in the event of a large-scale terrorist attack will be launched; and
	To what extent the failure to launch the HAZMOD data network by the originally scheduled date of October 2002 is attributable to lack of funding or technical difficulties.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The HAZMOD extranet (previously referred to as HAZMOD intranet) was a small pilot project, managed by a research group within the Home Office and subsequently the Cabinet Office, which investigated the access to maps by emergency planners and others using internet technology. The project lasted two and a half years and cost 175,000.
	Recent analysis undertaken by the Cabinet Office showed that better and faster approaches to securing the same information are now available elswhere and are already in use by a range of organisations. The Government therefore consider that it can best support local authority emergency planners through the provision of advice on the development of geographical information systems. Emergency planners at the local level will also continue to draw data from police commanders, who have direct access to information from central government.
	A letter explaining the position was sent on 24 February 2003 by the Cabinet Ofice to all the emergency planners involved in the project. The letter was also published on the UK Resilence website (www.ukresilience.info).

Drivers: Eyesight Tests

The Earl of Caithness: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Macdonald of Tradeston on 26 February (WA 43), what research has been commissioned into visual field impairment and its relevance to driving fitness; by whom; at what cost; who is doing it; and when results of the research will be available to the public.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Department for Transport has a programme of research into the relationship betweeen visual field impairment and driving. Three relevant research projects are at various stages:
	1. Review of Current Literature on Functional Correlates of Visual Field Defects
	A critique of the recent literature that examines the link between visual function and car accident data was carried out. The review focused on visual field defects and examined the clinical and statistical evidence, taking into consideration the methodological strengths and weaknesses of both cohort and case control studies.
	This contract was awarded to QinetiQ, was completed in August 2002, and the total cost was 7,084.
	The final report is being prepared for publication in printed form and on the department's website, where it will be free to download in the near future.
	2. Peripheral Vision Field Defects
	This is a study of the relationship between peripheral visual field defects and driving performance. The association between these factors will be studied with the aim if improving the specification of standards for peripheral visual field defects and the methods to be used in measuring them.
	The study includes the investigation of the most efficient testing methods for visual field loss and the correlation between visual field loss and driving performance as measured by a range of techniques including simulated driving.
	This contract has been awarded to Nottingham Trent University and QinetiQ, and is ongoing. The total contracted cost of the project is 222,113.
	This project is near completion, with a draft final report expected shortly.
	3. Central Scotoma and Driving
	A new research project will study the relevance of central visual field defects to the ability to drive safely. The study will evaluate the existing methods of examining central scotoma and develop more accurate measures, and will assess the association between performance on these measures and performance on several tests related to driving. Central scotoma is an area of reduced vision that interferes with central vision.
	The aim of this project is to improve the basis on which standards for central visual field defects are set, and to refine the methods used in measuring central vision.
	This contract has been tendered for, and is expected to be awarded shortly.

Teachers: Sexual Abuse Allegation

Lord Northbourne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many accusations of sexual abuse were made against teachers by pupils and parents respectively in England and Wales for the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of each category is expected to lead to a prosecution.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: The requested information is not collected centrally.

People Trafficking

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many trafficked persons were deported to their countries of origin from the United Kingdom in each of the past three years; and whether they can state the percentage of those who are women and list the countries.

Lord Filkin: This information is not collected centrally, and could be obtained only by examining the individual case files of every person removed under Immigration Act powers over the period in question.

People Trafficking

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any prosecutions of traffickers have been brought under sections 145 and 146 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and, if so, how many convictions were obtained.

Lord Filkin: The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act received Royal Assent in November last year, and sections 145 and 146 came into force on 10 February 2003. Data on numbers of prosecutions under these sections will be collected in the usual way and published in Home Office Criminal Statistics. Given that the powers came into effect very recently there is not any information yet held centrally about numbers of prosecutions.

Ukraine: Country Assessment

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What conclusions they have drawn from the suicide in custody of Mikail Bodnarchuk on the day of his removal to Ukraine from immigration removal centre Haslar in January; and whether they will review their own evidence of torture in Ukraine in the Home Office country assessment.

Lord Filkin: The investigation into the death in immigration detention of Mikail Bodnarchuk is continuing. It would be premature to draw any conclusions until this investigation is complete.
	The country assessment for Ukraine is currently being revised and will be published in April. It will include the latest available information on the human rights situation in the Ukraine.

Detention Centre Rules

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have established minimum standards of accommodation, free time and visiting hours in the new immigration removal centres; and, if so, whether they will provide details of those standards as applied to Haslar and other comparable centres.

Lord Filkin: The Detention Centre Rules 2001 make provision for the regulation and management of removal centres. All removal centres are required to operate under the rules, which include provisions relating to the suitability of accommodation, freedom of movement and association, and visits.
	In addition to the Detention Centre Rules, we are currently in the process of establishing a comprehensive set of operating standards for removal centres. The operating standards will complement the rules and will provide measurable and auditable standards against which any removal centre will be assessed. Issues such as accommodation, free time and visiting hours will be included in these operating standards. That said, the matter of visiting hours remains under continuous review and we will be considering whether there may be room for improvement at certain centres, including Haslar.